Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1887-11-21
AS OTHERS SEE US.
A Peoria Journalist Writes mp the
Tri-Cities--Topies OF Current Inter
est In Rock Island Treated.

A Peoria Journalist Writes up the |
Tri-CIties--Topies OF Current Inter
est in Rock Island Treated.
A travelling correspondent of the Peoria
journal has been writing up the tri,cities,
His letter is dated from Rock Island. and
this is the way he starts o..dish, his sub
ject up:
Well, here l am at the tri-cities.
have not been here very long. but suffl,
GENTLY long enough to see something of
the several towns. Today has been
large day. The sun shone brightly, but
the wind came across the river with chill
ing velocity. and freighted with dense
clouds of dust. The latter was so thick.
in fact, that saw some people out grads
ing their yards. suppose nearly every
one in Peoria has. at some time or other,
been here, taken in the government island.
Black Hawks watch tower and other
places of interest, so | shall not detail
them but pass on to other and newer
things. | have been here once or twice
before, and the store buildings have al
ways struck me as in marked contrast
with those in Peoria. While the latter
city is about as large as the three here
combined. il is fact that the stores there
are far inferior to those here, OF course
there are exceptions. Some Peoria insti-
tutions will paralyze anything here in the
matter of architecture and expense, but
| the average store here is far ahead. Few,
if any, one and two story frames are to
be seen. Nearly everything is at least
two stories in height and all are very
neat There is also marked similarity
in the buildings of the three towns, but
this must naturally be expected, consid
ering their contiguousness. Of
Another peculiar thing is the way Rock
Island and Moline are laid ont The two
places together probably occupy FIVE miles
along the bank of the river, yet don't
suppose either of them run any further
back than mile or two on the bluff On
this but few dwellings have been built
until this year, but now citizens are be-
ginning to find out the desirableness OF
that locality for residences and the places
are now extending out that way.
After | had perambulated around or
Illinois sod for while thought would
take run over into Iowa and see how
things were getting On there. 1t is moi
very far-lust across the river-and {
nlckle will carry you over on the ferry
About the first thing that l noticed il
Davenport was a sign on green card
board, which read: ''Diphtheris; SEA
rules Of board OF health" The next doc
had another. and few PAGES farther wa
another, and SO on. Thus it continued
all over the city This dread disease go
so bad during the fall. or about mont
, ago, that they had to close the publ
, schools in order to prevent its becomin,
epidemic. 1t is not nearly so bad as
! has been. There are also good man
cases in Rock Island and Moline, but no
, enough to cause very great amount O
apprehension. ...t
o The writer then turns his attention I
+ Davenport. and devoting himself TO th
= extent of paragraph to that burg. re
n turns to Rock Island:
There are prospects of a good,size
knows Phil Armour and his extensive or
= erations in the packing industry. Wei
= he proposes to supply the meat-eaters {
= this section with beef and pork from h
Z Kansas City establishment 1t bein
a shipped in here. Working under this Il
|. rangement, the butchers would be en-,
h bled to sell at rates greatly below Il
Y current. An agent of the great packt
# was here not long since and went sroun
i and took wholesale orders. The fir
: shipment of meat-a carload-biled F,
$ Moline. arrived Yesterday. A good de
e of it had been sold, but not ALL Aft
d the orders had been given on last Sunds
!. the butchers held meeting at Da'
" export and decided to boyco
:, the great Armour. Of course, those wi
q had ordered it would take it. but they 6
resolved to buy no more. So the boyco
ID is on. He says he is determined TO 81
d his meat here and for that purpose pr
< poses to open up two or three retail me
al markets in each one of the cities. 1h
n assertion is creating q great sensatit
20 among the butchers. and all the CO
sumers are considering how it will cor
out. II Armour makes quarter of
cent per pound he il making money fsi
but the local retailers have to get 100
~ $50 per cent to make any thing. and so
10 goes | remember when the butchers
~ an Ohio town tried to boycott him la
e year, and he issued orders TO give t
meat away if necessary, and broke INC
tie of the local dealers. Efforts are to
'rt mace to head him of at this place TIL
n are to go before the city councils and e
deayor to have ordinances passed col
polling the inspection of meat before Ii
ing. This plan would shut Armour O
10 snd may work all right in Davenpt
&c and Moline, but will Doubtless come
III naught here. An ordinance was on
al passed here compelling inspection and
Il abattoir built at cost Of IS 1000, but t
Us dealers bad it revoked and there is an i
10 junction Of six months standing over t
C. abattoir. 1t is hardly probable after Il
that the council will renew the law. a
Armour can come in if he wants to, I
ne the other two places it is uncertain wi
p will be done. heard one gentleman
D. mark, today: Il wish he would open
ne a market in building seven hundr
s. feet deep and one hundred and fifty fl
front, and fill it with meat" If Armc
US opens, it will create great change